


Show and Tell

by road_of_ruin



Series: Spark [2]
Category: Transformers: Prime
Genre: Age Difference, Character Study, Gen, Introspection, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-14
Updated: 2016-09-14
Packaged: 2018-08-14 23:31:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8033269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/road_of_ruin/pseuds/road_of_ruin
Summary: On a rare day off, Optimus finds himself in the company of their three human friends and a certain rookie who has plagued his thoughts more often than he'd like to admit.
Follow up to Lost and Found, standalone, Optimus POV.





	Show and Tell

**Author's Note:**

> decided to make this a little series since a few people showed interest in Lost and Found. though that fic is referenced, it's not necessary to read it beforehand, so feel free to read this as a standalone.
> 
> this tiny ship is underappreciated. thanks to all who read. hope you all enjoy!

The open road was rather soothing, in its own way. The long stretch of desert, horizon to horizon, gave the impression of a world its own and those within it alone in all of it.

It was the sort of peace that was hard to find, hardier still for one such as Optimus Prime, and he soaked it in with a welcome relief, letting it settle over him like the warmth of the sunlight above. The road was empty and he pushed out his EM field to its limit to check for police or other cars and, finding none, let himself indulge in a few paces above the speed limit.

Perhaps it was his young members of Team Prime influencing him, but he did enjoy the feel of the wind and the smooth road under his wheels. Alone on a rare day off - at least so far - he allowed himself this hint of speed simply because he could, opening up his engines to let them thrum and breathe. It was like a fresh vent of crisp air after sitting in staleness for too long. Freedom, perhaps, was the word for it.

If only it were true freedom, the likes of which a Prime could never truly experience. Still, he had no complaint, and enjoyed the long trek of road miles around the base.

_ :: base to Optimus ::  _ his comm link crackled to life and he slowed his speed back to the normal limit in order to hear better.

“I hear you, Ratchet,” he said calmly, soothed by the easiness of the medic’s voice. No trouble it seemed.

_ :: the ground bridge revamp is taking a little longer than I first surmised ::  _ Ratchet sighed at that, and Optimus smiled a little at the grumpy tone.  _ :: I need at least a few more hours before the re-calibration is complete :: _

“Understood, old friend,” Optimus assured him and readied himself for a long drive on the ‘scenic route’ around base, as the children liked to call it. “Take all the time you need. I do not wish to set false hopes, but it would seem a rather quiet day for Decepticons.”

_ :: still, I’m sending Bulkhead, Bee, and Arcee back your way. I don’t like the idea of you being out there alone, just in case this ‘day off’ proves to be little more than a false sense of security. As it stands, Smokescreen is the only one close to your position, and while I don’t doubt his abilities, he’s far from fully healed. I’d rather not put your safety in the hands of a rookie cleared for curb duty only. :: _

And there it was, a problem Optimus had been having of late, right from the mouth of his dearest friend. Smokescreen, his Rookie, who had laid himself upon the Prime’s mind more often than not of late. Even out here, chasing a glimpse of freedom, Smokescreen had managed to find him. He wasn’t sure just what that meant.

Optimus just took that in quietly, musing it over. “I thought Smokescreen was at base,” he murmured, pulling off the road and letting his engines idle.

_ :: I sent him out with the children so I could have some peace and quiet to work ::  _ was the gruff answer to that, and Optimus smiled again, because that was such a  _ Rachet  _ thing to do.  _ :: though now that I think on it, it wasn’t probably the wisest move on my part, given both his and Miko’s perchance for breaking speed limits. He’s healing fine, but I don’t need him pushing his luck. Last thing we need is his wounds reopening and putting him off mission for even longer. :: _

The reminder was an unexpected sting to his spark and Optimus slowly rolled onto the road once again, moving through the wave of emotions that followed. He struggled to pick them out one by one and label them, uncertain because of the sheer strength of them.

The guilt still felt fresh, despite having been forgiven, over and over, by a cheerful, smiling Smokescreen, who saw no reason for any guilt or apology. A tactical decision, that’s what it had been, the most logical move they could’ve made, but Optimus had trouble leaving the panic that had formed when they’d returned to the coordinates to find Smokescreen gone. Left behind and snatched away, right out of their grasp. It made something in him hitch with unease.

Guilt, of course, was not a new feeling for him, but it had had a certain potency when it had been his Rookie on the line, and he was having trouble deciphering the reason.   


“I shall check on him and the children,” he offered to Ratchet, knowing it would set the medic’s mind at ease… and his own, as odd as that was. But he couldn’t deny a part of him was scrambling, unhinged from his put together self at the thought that Smokescreen wasn’t where he was supposed to be, wasn’t where Optimus had thought. Outside the safety zone.

It shouldn’t have mattered as much as it did, but he couldn’t shove the feelings aside no matter how hard he tried, and that was yet another layer of emotion to cypher.

_ :: please do. Primus knows what Miko could’ve talked him into by now ::  _ Ratchet muttered.  _ :: sending coordinates. :: _

His inner console pinged with the location within seconds. “Coordinates received,” Optimus said, turning on the road and heading for where Smokescreen’s signal pulsed strong.

_ :: copy that, I’ll contact you when I have the bridge up. :: _

Optimus said a short farewell to that and pushed his engines to the speed limit, sinking into his thoughts.

\---

He found them all in the quarry. Jack and Miko were hacking at a wall of sediment rock with shovels and smaller tools while little Raf was perched on Smokescreen’s hood, a tarp in his lap that caught debris as he worked a small chisel into the rock in his hand. He waved excitedly when he saw Optimus and they all stopped to look, smiles appearing brightly on all their faces.

Smokescreen’s EM field reached for his in a warm embrace as it always did, welcoming and blissfully happy to see him. Optimus sent his EM field back in a wave of calm support and rolled to a stop near the children. There were other humans nearby, watching the truck with interest, young faces all around, young in the way Jack and Miko were.

“Ratchet was concerned for your well being, Smokescreen,” he told his Rookie softly, cutting his engines so as not to drown out the voices of the children.

“I’m doing just fine,” Smokescreen assured him, a smile evident in his voice. “Hardly any pain at all today.”

Raf grinned at that, adding on excitedly, “He was just telling us about the Dinobots of Cybertron, the ancient King Audlock and his adventures.”

“Apparently humans have similar creatures,” Smokescreen chuckled, rolling forward an inch. “Show him Raf.”

Raf held up the rock to Optimus’ headlight, where he could see it wasn’t a rock at all, but some sort of fossil, spiral and small.

“It’s an ancient sea creature,” Raf said to him. “Millions of years ago, Jasper was underwater.”

“I’ve heard of your dinosaurs,” Optimus supplied, eyeing Smokescreen more than the fossil, though his processor scanned the ancient thing for further analysis later, a habit he’d never been able to break from his many years of being an archivist. “Though the histories of Audlock were little more than legend by your time, Smokescreen.”

“Alpha Trion taught me the histories,” Smokescreen said proudly, rolling back and forth in short bursts to make Raf wiggle in place. “Such as the ancient battle of King Audlock versus the ancient predacon hordes at Tyger Pax. The big A was pretty convinced that Audlock’s campaign against them was part of the reason they went extinct on Cybertron.”

“Dude, that’s so rad,” Miko said, hefting her shovel onto her shoulder and wiping her forehead. “So dinos beat dragons, who knew?”

Jack rolled his eyes at that then paused, bending down to brush away the dirt from what looked to be another fossil. “Hey, here’s another one.”

“Yes, this has A  _ plus  _ written all over it,” Miko picked it up, huffing and puffing.

“Only if you know what fossil that is,” Raf pointed out.

“Hmm, I think I’ll phone a friend,” Miko said to that and set the rock in front of Smokescreen. “Tell me Smokey, what we got?”

Optimus watched in silence as Smokescreen discreetly scanned the fossil and vented in thought, processor whirring. Then, to his surprise, he gave a smart, confident reply: “Trilobite.”

“Underwater alien thing,” Miko laughed. “Awesome.”

“What about this one, Smoke?” Jack asked, holding up a smaller fossil. Smokescreen scanned it and thought again.

“Bivalve,” Smokescreen told him. “Something called a clam.”

“Hey we still have those,” Miko perked up. “Taste good too.”

Jack made a face that said he clearly disagreed and went back to digging, pocketing his find. Raf too slid off Smokescreen’s hood to resume digging for fossils, though why Optimus could only guess. He was more lost than he was used to being.

“You’ve learned much of Earth’s history,” he remarked as he rolled toward his Rookie a few paces, further shielding their little group from outside eyes.

“Alpha Trion,” Smokescreen told him, EM field practically buzzing with happiness at Optimus’ interest. “He saw into the future that you would land on a planet called E arth and did as much research as he could. It wasn’t much, but it got me interested and the kids have been a big help filling in the gaps.”

“A regular scholar then,” Optimus murmured in surprise and for a moment he could almost see a glimpse of what Alpha Trion must have seen.

“Hardly, just curious,” Smokescreen brushed off that praise with his usual hint of humility, which did nothing but reaffirm Optimus’ suspicions as to why Alpha Trion had taken him under his wing. “I wish I’d learned more, if I’m honest. I was too focused on the fighting to come, I hardly had time to look behind. Bit of a problem with me, always seem to be blindsided.”

He sighed, self deprecation clear, and Optimus’ spark pulled uncomfortably again at the reminder of the latest battle that left Smokescreen wounded and alone.

“You are learning,” he imparted to his Rookie, warm and confident in the truth of his words. “It was your quick thinking that led us to your position and your knowledge of Iacon’s signals that allowed us to find you. Those signals are not easy to learn, yet you learned them from the Master Archivist himself. That is no small thing, Smokescreen. Alpha Trion would be proud.”

“Yeah?” Smokescreen rolled closer to him a little as well, perked up and hopeful. “I really hope so. He wasn’t easy to make proud, so when I ever managed it, it felt like a true accomplishment.”

“Indeed,” Optimus smiled a little at the reminder of his former mentor. “It was much the same for me.”

“I bet you had no trouble making him proud,” his Rookie said softly, EM field warm with true affection and awe, and not for the first time Optimus wondered how Smokescreen couldn’t feel it, how much of himself he gave away doing such things. “He spoke of you often with the pride of a sire.”

Optimus quieted at that, allowing himself a moment to grieve his old friend. “I was young once, and as such I made my share of mistakes. We all start somewhere small, Smokescreen. Very few are born into greatness. Give yourself time and patience and greatness will find you.”   


Smokescreen’s energy warmed even more, enveloping but somehow not too much. Perhaps he was too young to control himself, or even more so, unaware. It was oddly comforting, regardless, and Optimus pressed his own field against his Rookie’s, calm and soothing and confident. It was an odd match for the bright, boundless energy of Smokescreen’s, yet somehow they meshed together instead of clashing, something that made that little pull on his spark swoop in a way he hadn’t felt since he was Orion Pax and had thought himself in love with a gladiator.

That gave him pause, a spark of surprise ringing through his circuits as that settled in his processor, as honest and bright as Smokescreen’s EM field against his own. He knew it was love that shown in Smokescreen’s spark for him, but in his own…?

He fell quiet after that, cocooned in Smokescreen’s welcoming energy and the sound of the children laughing as they dug for treasures.

\---

It was Ratchet that ultimately brought him back to the present.  _ :: bridge is up. I suggest you all get somewhere I can bridge you back from. :: _

Smokescreen lifted his doors in answer and Jack and Miko climbed in with their shovels and fossils. Raf looked up at Optimus with a shy smile as Optimus opened his own door for him. “You sure?”

“Smokescreen can only carry two,” Optimus rumbled, staying perfectly still as the boy clambered into the passenger seat. “Your safety is what I care about.”

“The other’s aren’t far,” Raf said, but settled in all the same, waving at Smokescreen and the other children as they waved and Smokescreen flashed his headlights.

“Ratchet has gotten the bridge up quicker than he’d thought, it would be counter productive to wait for the others to arrive here,” Optimus reasoned, firing his engines to life and driving to the road, Smokescreen right behind. He was highly aware of his Rookie’s presence, their EM fields remaining in contact as firmly as humans held hands. He felt odd about it even though it felt  _ right  _ and the happiness wafting off the young mech was unmistakable.

“If you’re sure,” Raf said, pulling his mind back to the road. The boy sat happily, staring at the big rig in awe. “Always wanted to ride in a semi truck.”

Optimus smiled at that, revving his engines to give Raf a sense of the power in such a large truck. Raf grinned in answer and sighed contently at his finds, thumbing over the fossils.

“May I ask why you were digging?” Optimus asked his little friend, honestly curious as to what the dig had been about. Smokescreen had seemed to know, but none had explained to Optimus, leaving him to his thoughts.

“Oh, for show and tell at school,” Raf quickly explained. “We’re learning about the ancient world in science class and the quarry is well known for having fossils. We get extra credit for each fossil we find and, well, show and tell to the class.”

That hardly made any sense, but Optimus let it be. “I see. And it seems you three have been learning Cybertronian ancient history as well.”

“Smokescreen knows a lot,” Raf smiled at the steering wheel. “It must be nice for you to have a fellow bot who knows history. And he worked under the same guy you did. That must be nice too.”

“...i had not considered that,” Optimus admitted softly, feeling Smokescreen’s EM field lick across his. “I suppose it is far too easy to discount his time with Alpha Trion given how battle minded he is. I did not know my old mentor had taught him so much.”

“I think he learned it to impress Alpha Trion and you,” Raf confessed. “It’s not my place to say, I know that, but he’s always trying to make you proud.”

“So he does,” Optimus said. “His spark is in the right place. He has much to learn, but he is learning well.”

Raf smiled at that, nodding in agreement. “I think so too.”

\---

The reunion at base was a loud affair with the children reunited with their guardian bots. Miko, as usual, took over the group with the story Smokescreen had told of King Audlock and showed off her fossil finds to Bulkhead while the others did the same.

Mumbling about the noise, Ratchet ushered Smokescreen to the med berths and hooked him up to monitor his spark beat and vitals, making adjustments to better his condition and generally fussing about him to drown out the noise.

And Optimus stood by quietly, watching his Rookie take it all without complaint. His EM field was tame now, pulled into himself, which let Optimus know that the warm burst in the quarry had been intentional, that Smokescreen knew what he was doing. He was enamored, but he wouldn’t say it, showing instead of telling. Perhaps he would never tell, too uncertain of Optimus’ own feelings.

Optimus himself was uncertain of his own feelings towards his Rookie and took a seat on another med berth to sit in the quieter corner of the base, watching Smokescreen slowly drift off into recharge as the medicine being pumped into him took away his pain.

He was young, so painfully young, and Optimus could feel the difference between them like a well without a bottom to it, echoing with sound. But he was special too, chosen by Alpha Trion to carry an Omega Key and perhaps even to guard him. He remembered little of the security of Iacon during the Golden Age, but what he did remember was that his mentor chose his own guards. Perhaps war had given Alpha Trion little choice, or perhaps Smokescreen was chosen.

Either case, he was clearly a trusted friend, someone Alpha Trion had had the patience to  _ teach,  _ and not of war time, but of the past, of peace, of leadership and victory. Smokescreen was every bit a product of war, clever and a quick study, but there was a depth to him Optimus hadn’t expected, a humble spark hidden beneath bravado, a very young mech who wanted the one he favored to look upon him with pride, not just a warrior to his purpose confident in himself.

He was a contradiction as only young ones could be, and Optimus felt all the older for it, tempered steel where Smokescreen was fire and energy. What Smokescreen saw in him, he did not know. A part of him wanted to wave it off as little more than hero worship, but somehow he knew it false. Smokescreen was loyal to his very core, proud of Optimus for who he was and what he’d done, respectful of his status, yet his love… perhaps it was for Optimus himself.

It was foolish, he knew that, to imagine such things. His spark was not for him to give away to anyone. He was a Prime, a commander, a leader. His purpose was for others, not himself. Perhaps if he were Orion still he could offer such things, but not as a Prime. Not easily.

It would be risky to try, a danger to the team. He could not afford to get soft about one when he had them all to think of. For all their sakes, it simply could not be.

He knew he should walk away, leave this bright life to its own orbit. But he felt the pull and answered it, reaching his EM field to smokescreen as Ratchet walked away. He enveloped his Rookie in warmth and got a smile in return, sleepy and unfocused, energy crackling against his before smoothing out, melding, becoming one.

“Sleep,” he bid Smokescreen, so young and full of life. How he could deserve such a show of love, he would never know, but he could feel himself settling into something new and uncertain, pulled into the young mech’s orbit, if only for a little while. “I will be here when you awake.”

Smokescreen’s energy went warm, soothing, comfort, and his optics closed in a bliss Optimus had never been able to find, yet suddenly there it was, tingling through his circuits.

“I know you will.”


End file.
